Sunderland - Tottenham Betting Preview: Bale to keep firing for Spurs

Dec 27, 2012 1:00:00 PM

With both teams recording impressive Boxing Day wins, Jamie Dickenson is finding a winner tough to call but fancies goals for both sides with the Welsh wizard scoring

Sunderland have won three games out of their last four, keeping a trio of clean sheets in the process and became the second side to defeat reigning champions Manchester City in the league this season.

However, for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to the Stadium of Light, the hosts are still the outsiders for victory with Paddy Power at 5/2 (3.50).

The favourites for this clash are Spurs at 11/10 (2.10), having just beaten a vulnerable Aston Villa side 4-0 at Villa Park.

Gareth Bale's second-half hat-trick grabbed the headlines in a comfortable victory, and saw Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas herald his winger as one of the best players in the world after the win.

With the form and finishing currently on show from the Wales international, it would be hard to bet against him scoring anytime against Sunderland at 23/10 (3.3).

In fact, the ex-Southampton prodigy now has 13 goals from 26 games - a fantastic return for a wide-man - and Bale to break the deadlock as the Insurebet First Goalscorer (stake is returned if the scorer doesn't score first but does at some point during the game) at 11/2 (6.5) looks like a wise investment as a value bet.

Villas-Boas appears to be steering the Spurs ship in the right direction after some problems this term, with a run of just one defeat in nine, and six of the north London club's last eight games in all competitions ending in wins.

However, with Sunderland recording back-to-back victories in the league for the first time this season, Martin O'Neill's side are also in fine fettle for what promises to be an exciting encounter.

The draw may be worth siding with if you can't see a winner between the two, and is priced at 23/10 (3.3).

Given the open nature of the Sunderland v Man City match and Spurs' dominance of chances and goals at Villa, both sides to score is worth supporting at 8/11 (1.73). That's the main bet with the 11/2 (6.5) insurebet a great option for those in search of longer odds.

BET

OF THE

DAY

BEST BET

VALUE BET

Both teams to score at 8/11 (1.73) with Paddy Power

Gareth Bale to be the Insurebet First Goalscorer at 11/2 (6.5) with Paddy Power

Jamie Dickenson is a 22-year-old freelance journalist who specialises in football, sports and betting.
You can follow Jamie on and read more of his work here

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Champions League final - LIVE!

German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.

5:42 PM BST

Right, just over two hours to go until kick-off, so let's check in with our man Jay Jaffa, who says the atmosphere is already building at Wembley.

"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.

"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."

5:38 PM BST

It is this increasingly bitter rivalry between Bayern and Dortmund that almost guarantees fireworks at Wembley tonight, according to Bayern defender Dante, who spoke exclusively with Goal earlier this week.

5:34 PM BST

The aforementioned Gotze deal, and the way in which it was leaked to the press on the eve of Dortmund’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg clash with Madrid, has only intensified the antipathy between the two clubs, while, as you can see from the photo below, the man at the centre of the transfer has inevitably been caught in the crossfire. This is all nothing new, of course. Bayern may have loaned a cash-strapped Dortmund money a decade ago but the pair have been locked in a vicious – but entertaining – war of words in the wake of die Schwarzgelben’s subsequent re-emergence as a major force, and Daniel Buse and Enis Koylu have catalogued the best quotes here.

5:23 PM BST

Right, still plenty of time to go until kick-off, so why not get involved in our Champions League quiz on Twitter? Here's one to start you off:

After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?

5:18 PM BST

Bayern, as already alluded to, are desperate to atone for defeat against Chelsea 12 months ago and one man who knows all about the agony and ecstasy of Champions League finals is former die Roten defender Samuel Kuffour. The Ghanaian beating the ground in fury after seeing his side concede twice in injury time at the end of the 1999 tournament decider against Manchester United remains one of the most memorable images in the competition’s history, so check out our exclusive interview with Kuffour, who would achieve redemption just two years later when Bayern edged out Valencia on penalties.

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